Spooks, spectres and the supernatural

Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had a pleasant or unpleasant spooky experience which defied all rational explanation? Or do you think that the supernatural is just a facet of our imagination?

I've had quite a few experiences, so I'll start with my own only ghost sighting.

When I was in my 20s I spent the night at the home of a friend. As I settled down to sleep in the spare bedroom, I was aware of a sensation that somebody was trying to tuck me up for the night. It was a warm, comforting feeling and I could detect a faint smell of perfume. I could also hear a very low whispering but couldn't make out the words. After a few minutes it all stopped but I still had the feeling of a presence in the room. Thinking it was maybe my friend's Mum, I sat up in bed, and saw the greyish-white figure of a slim, elderly lady sitting on a chair. It was a very brief sighting because when I moved the lady disappeared. Strangely, I didn't feel frightened and soon fell asleep.

When I mentioned it to my friend the following day, she looked quite shocked and told me that, about a year earlier, her great-aunt who (unknown to me) had spent the last few days of her life being looked afer by the family and had died in that bedroom. She was, so I was told, a very loving and caring person .....

^ I love this kind of stuff, Aileen. My late husband, who was a big skeptic, told me this story.

A close friend of his parents who was a Firefighter, had been out at an emergency. Long story short, this man died in the fire. My husband said (he was just a child) that this man appeared at the end of his bed, and said 'I'm going now, and I just want to say goodbye'.

Next morning my husband got up and said to his parents, Ally's dead. They just thought he was rambling.

Also, my daughter used to always tell me a man in a green suit came and sat on her bed. Only recently, I learned that it was her uncle who was a mechanic, and always wore a green boiler suit. His message was, that he didn't mean to scare anyone, he just wanted to look out for us.

Oh, I love this kind of thing. My hubby has had a number of experiences and I know of a few friends that have too.

My mum is officially a witch. She just knows things before you even tell her. She's seen a 'figure' when she was young.... seen what I can only think was a ball of fire.... had an out of body experience which she poo poos, and dreamt of the Grand National winner, without having any knowledge of the horses running. If you met her, you'd never believe it. She's the most practical person out.

I was out my back garden a couple of weeks ago, and it was cloudy, so no stars to speak of. I saw lights in the sky, and just assumed it was a 'plane trying to land, but they just hovered, and circled. It was a bit weird, and I wished there was someone else with me to verify. I suppose it could have been something trying to land, but the lights were an odd shape. Very strange.

My father and husband both died within 18 months of each other. A while back I started to find white feathers in the most bizarre places. One in my bathroom, and I don't have feather duvets or pillows.

Anyway.... I gathered with some girlfriends at a medium reading night. It came to my turn, and I was really apprehensive. The woman who was doing the reading initially said some stuff, which only my father could have known. She said, the white feathers you've been finding, that's your dad telling you he's around you, and giving you protection. He knows you've been through a traumatic time, but it will get better.

My mum is officially a witch. She just knows things before you even tell her. She's seen a 'figure' when she was young.... seen what I can only think was a ball of fire.... had an out of body experience which she poo poos, and dreamt of the Grand National winner, without having any knowledge of the horses running. If you met her, you'd never believe it. She's the most practical person out.

People like your Mum usually are perfectly sane, sensible and down to earth folk. They're just born with that extra sense.

I'm sceptical about a lot of people who claim to be spiritualists though. I know some, like the one you visited, are genuine - an old friend of mine certainly was, the things she came out with especially about my family, which she couldn't possibly have known about, made my hair stand on end! Unfortunately too many of them are charlatans preying on vulnerable people, particularly those who have suffered a recent bereavement, just to make money. It's disgusting.

I could go on contributing myself, but it's now dawn and I'm knackered!

People like your Mum usually are perfectly sane, sensible and down to earth folk. They're just born with that extra sense.

I'm sceptical about a lot of people who claim to be spiritualists though. I know some, like the one you visited, are genuine - an old friend of mine certainly was, the things she came out with especially about my family, which she couldn't possibly have known about, made my hair stand on end! Unfortunately too many of them are charlatans preying on vulnerable people, particularly those who have suffered a recent bereavement, just to make money. It's disgusting.

I could go on contributing myself, but it's now dawn and I'm knackered!

Oh, Aileen, you've got me started. A girl, I used to work with, not even a friend, who I was on a night out with when I was younger, was sat beside me. We were laughing and joking away, and she suddenly said, 'Are you pregnant?' Well, I was knocking back the gins and said 'No... not to my knowledge'. She took my hand and said, 'Yes you are, but urgh.... there's something wrong, it's bisexual. Turned out I gave birth to boy/girl twins.